Mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus for railway-cars.



W. BROUGHTON & F. DQREYNOLDS. MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APYPLIOATION 1 1L311 Jun 5, 1910 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- gyrea HE NORRIS PETERS co" WASHINGTON, n c

G. W. BROUGHTON & F. D. REYNOLDS.

MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CABS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1910 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

fiazznce Wro a 67012 CHAUNCEY W. BROUGI-ITON, 0F MOGIRR, CARLTON, AND FRED D. REYNOLDS, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS; SAID REYNOLDS ASSIGNOR T0 SAID BROUGI-ITON.

MAIL-BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GHAUNonY IV. BRoUGH'roN and FRED D. REYNOLDS, residing, respectively, at McGrirr P. 0., Carlton, and De Kalk, Dekalb county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Receiving and Delivering Apparatus for Railway-Cars and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly, though not necessarily, to an improvement upon the mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, shown and described in United States Letters Patent 880,008, issued February 25, 1908, and 944,716, issued December 28, 1909, to Chauncey W. Broughton to which reference may be had for an understanding of any features common to the devices, and the present invention has for one of its objects to provide an improved receiving and delivering arm for the mailpouch and an improved form or type of magnet for receiving the pouch.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus of this character which will be simple, durable and cheap in construction and effective and eflicient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which- Figure l is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section showing an improved receiving arm of this character attached to a portion of the car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the receiving arm shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a portion of a track and the arm arranged at the station and so constructed as to receive mail from trains traveling in opposite directions. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of Fig. 2 with the protector plate removed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of the station arm and the rotatable head which supports the arm. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the station arm. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the station Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1910.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 570,209.

the flexible members 15 and springs 16 in the same manner as in the patents above referred to. Supported by these members 12, 13, preferably on one side thereof, is a magnet designated generally by the reference numeral 19 and this magnet comprises a plurality of cores or pole pieces 20 which are spaced from each other longitudinally of the members 12, 13. The pole pieces are provided with the usual windings and are wound in series extending lengthwise of the line of travel of the car, and any number of these pole pieces may be provided.

The station arm, shown in Figs. 3 to 7 comprises a supporting member 21 and a member 22 cooperating with and spaced above the arm 21. Both of these members 21, 22 are mounted upon a rotatable head 23, the extremity of the member 22 terminating short of the extremity of the member 21, and a member 24 is pivotally supported by the member 22 and cooperates with the member 21 to prevent accidental displacement of the mail-pouch which is supported by the member 21. An elastic member 25 is provided for holding the member 24 in operative relation with the arm 21 and in such a manner that when the armature on the mail-pouch is attracted by the magnet on the arm on the car, it will be drawn 01f of the member 21, as the car advances, the member 24 yielding to permit the mailpouch to be taken from the support 21.

In order to adapt the single arm at the station for use for delivering and receiving mail to and from cars moving in opposite direction, a double magnet or double series of magnets are provided and are designated generally by the reference numerals 26, 27 in Figs. 5 and 7. These magnets are arranged back to back, as shown, and are spaced. from each other so that the series will be independent with respect to each other and are held spaced in any desired or suitable manner. These magnets are also provided with a plurality of cores or pole pieces i1, and are wound in series lengthwise of the line of travel of the car. The magnets on the station arm are energized from the conductor rails 30, 81 (see Fig. from which rails conductors lead to contact plates 32, 33 supported by the head 23 and these contact plates '32, 33, are insulated from each other by suitable insulation 34:, 3:). Contact members 36, 37 are provided in the head and are normally held in engagement with the contact members 32, orthe insulation 34, 35, according to the position of the head 23, preferably by means of suitableelastic members 38 housed within the head. These members 38 respectively cooperate with contact plates 39 to which are respectively connected the ends of the conductor it), which latter forms the windings for the core or pole pieces 28.

When the arm at the station is in the peer tion shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the magnets will be energized by means of the members 37 engaging the contact plates 32, 3?), and 1s arranged to receive ahddehver mall to the car moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, say for instance an east bound train. When it is desired to deliver mail to the train moving in the opposite direction, say for instance an east bound tram, then the station arm is correspondingly adjusted by rotating the head until the series of magnets on the other side of the arm, those indicated by the reference numeral 26 in Figs. 5 and 6, will be presented in a direction toward the track.

The head 23 is controlled in a manner similar to that disclosed in the patents above referred to, so that as the train is approaching from either direction the arm Wlll be correspondingly adjusted, the mechanism for which adjustment is not necessary to illustrate inasmuch as it forms no part of the present invention but is fully described in the patents referred to. After the train has passed and the mail has been interchanged, the stat-ionarm is adjusted to a position to point away from the track, as shown in Fig. 3, in any suitable manner preferably by means of flexible members 41, elastic members 42 and members a3, in the manner disclosed in one of the patents above referred to.

it has been found in practice that in order to receive mail from or deliver mail to a rapidly moving train, by means of magnets and armatures, it is necessary to provide powerful magnets in order to overcome the momentrun of the mail-bag and it has also been found that the momentum is sometimes so great that the armature which is attached to the mail-bag will not adhere to the magnets, with a result that the mail-bag is often dropped upon the ground with the danger of rolling under the car. By the provision of a plurality of magnets arranged in series and lengthwise of the line of travel of the car, or by the provision of a magnet of some length having a plurality of poles or core pieces whichare wound in series lengthwise of the line of travel, the outermost magnets or the magnets at the end of the series toward which the car is approaching will first act upon the armature on the mail-bag to overcome the momentum of the bag, and by the time the armature has passed one or two of the cores or pole pieces, according to the rate of travel of the car, the armature will become saturated and will adhere to the magnet and remain in such position until the magnets are deenergized by breaking the current.

While in the present exemplification of the invention, the magnets are shown as be ing supported by the uppermost member of the arm, it is to be understood that any other arrangement may be employed and the magnets may be supported in any other manner without departing from the spirit of this invention.

In order to protect the faces of the pole pieces against the elements a nonmagnetic plate 44 is provided and may be removably secured across the faces of the poles in any desired manner and a suitable means comprises fastening devices 45 such as screws or bolts which engage the protector and also the magnet.

hat is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support and a plurality of receiving magnets supported thereby and arranged in series extending lengthwise of the line of travel of the car and adapted to act successively upon the mail bag armature.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a magnet mounted thereon and provided with a plurality of spaced poles adapted to successively act upon the mail bag armature.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a magnet mounted thereon and provided with a plurality of poles wound in series extending lengthwise of the line of travel of the car and adapted to successively act upon the armature of the mail receptacle.

el. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pivotally mounted support adapted to be swung into a position to extend lengthwise of the track, and a plu- 'alit-y of magnets supported thereby and arranged in series extending lengthwise of the track.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a pivotally mounted support adapted to be swung into positions to extend lengthwise of the track and in either direction, and a plurality of series of magnets supported thereby, the said series of magnets being spaced and arranged with their pole pieces extending in opposite directions.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pivotally mounted support adapted to be swung into positions to extend lengthwise of the track in either direction, a plurality of sets of magnets spaced from each other and arranged with their pole pieces extending in opposite directions the magnets of both sets being wound in series extending lengthwise of the track.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a plurality of magnets supported thereby and wound in series extending lengthwise of the track, and means for protecting the faces of the magnets.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a plurality of magnets supported thereby and wound in series extending lengthwise of the track, and a non-magnetic protector extending across the faces of the magnets.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a plurality of magnets supported thereby and wound in series extending lengthwise of the track, and a non-magnetic protector plate removably secured to the magnets and extending across the faces thereof.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 30th day of June A. D. 1910.

CHAUNOEY W. BROUGHTON.

FRED D. REYNOLDS. l/Vitnesses:

J. H. JooHUM, Jr.,

A. O. KNIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

